Allain Earns Another National Award

Apr 17, 2009

April 17, 2009

Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey, has been named Inside College Hockey (INCH) Coach of the Year. This is the third coach of the year honor for the Bulldogs' mentor who had similar nods from College Hockey News and ECAC Hockey.

Joe Gladziszewski wrote in his April 14 story for INCH (insidecollegehockey.com), "As Inside College Hockey considered its INCH Coach of the Year candidates, we evaluated characteristics that coaches look for in their teams - matching or exceeding its talent level, playing with consistency, and making the right moves at the right time. As the examination continued under those criteria, the choice became quite simple. Yale's Keith Allain is the INCH Coach of the Year."

Allain, in his third season behind the Yale bench, played at Yale and served as an assistant coach under Tim Taylor. Allain won the Tim Taylor Award as ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year in late March after the Bulldogs (24-8-2) won the conference regular season championship. Since then, the Blue won its first-ever ECAC Tournament Championship, qualified for its first NCAA Tournament in 11 years and surpassed the school's record for wins in a season.

Allain's Elis, ranked No. 5 in both national polls before falling to NCAA semifinalist Vermont in the East Regional, finished No. 10 in the final USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll.

Allain has increased Yale's win total in each of his three seasons and helped the Elis enjoy their best ever this winter after being picked seventh in both pre-season ECAC polls.

He is a former Yale goalie who worked as a Bulldog assistant before coaching in Sweden (6 years) and in the NHL (17 years).